Cumulative effects of nitrogen application to winter wheat at Ropsley, UK, from 1978 to 1990

1997 ◽  
Vol 129 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. BHOGAL ◽  
S. D. YOUNG ◽  
R. SYLVESTER-BRADLEY ◽  
F. M. O'DONNELL ◽  
R. L. RALPH

In 1977, a four-course rotation was set up at Ropsley (UK) to study crop response to eight rates of nitrogen application (35–265 kg ha−1). This rotation continued until 1990 when continuous winter wheat was introduced. Results from 1978 to 1990 provide an opportunity to study the initial phase of cumulative effects from different rates of N fertilizer application on the recovery of N by cereals and the retention of N in the soil.From 1978 to 1990, considerable variation in the recovery of nitrogen by winter wheat was observed. Neither rainfall nor drainage, as indicators of possible denitrification or leaching losses, provided a useful explanation for this, possibly because of the relatively dry conditions prevailing after spring fertilizer application. There was no evidence of increased soil N fertility, beyond single year residues, as a result of large N applications over the 13-year period.In order to achieve the economic optimum grain yield, it was necessary to use N applications which produced inefficient recovery of N. Thus, greater return of N in crop residues and immobilization at relatively large N applications (>150 kg ha−1) contributed to an observed build-up in soil organic N over the period of study. Plots receiving, on average, 265 kg ha−1 appeared to gain c. 250 kg ha−1 N over control plots (35 kg ha−1) after 13 years of N application. Reducing the N application rate from the economic optimum to a more biologically efficient N rate (156 kg ha−1) was calculated to result in an average yield loss of 0·305 t ha−1 and cause an estimated £17 ha−1 loss in profit.

1997 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. PILBEAM ◽  
A.M. McNEILL ◽  
H. C. HARRIS ◽  
R. S. SWIFT

15N-labelled fertilizer was applied at different rates (0, 30, 60, 90 kg N ha−1) and in different forms (urea or ammonium sulphate) to wheat grown in Syria in three seasons (1991/92, 1992/93 and 1994/95).Recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizer in the above-ground crop at harvest was low (8–22%), with the amount of 15N-labelled fertilizer recovered in the crop increasing as the rate of application increased. Fertilizer application caused a significant increase in the amount of unlabelled soil N in the crop, suggesting that the application of N fertilizer caused a ‘real’ added nitrogen interaction. Recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizer in the crop was unaffected by the form of the fertilizer.On average 31% (14–54%) of the 15N-labelled fertilizer remained in the soil at harvest, mostly in the 0–20 cm layer. At the lowest application rate (30 kg N ha−1) most of the residual fertilizer was as organic N, but at the higher application rates (60 and 90 kg N ha−1), a greater proportion of the 15N-labelled fertilizer was recovered as inorganic N, presumably as the result of top-dressing N in dry conditions in the spring. The amount of 15N-labelled fertilizer remaining in the soil increased as the fertilizer rate increased, but was unaffected by the form of fertilizer applied.Losses of 15N-labelled fertilizer were large (>35%), probably caused by gaseous losses, either through volatilization of N from the calcareous soil, or through denitrification from wet soils rich in organic residues.N fertilization strategies in the West Asia/North Africa (WANA) region should take note of the low recovery of N fertilizer by the crop in the season of application, and the resultant large quantities of residual fertilizer.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 740
Author(s):  
Ken Okamoto ◽  
Shinkichi Goto ◽  
Toshihiko Anzai ◽  
Shotaro Ando

Fertilizer application during sugarcane cultivation is a main source of nitrogen (N) loads to groundwater on small islands in southwestern Japan. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of reducing the N fertilizer application rate on sugarcane yield, N leaching, and N balance. We conducted a sugarcane cultivation experiment with drainage lysimeters and different N application rates in three cropping seasons (three years). N loads were reduced by reducing the first N application rate in all cropping seasons. The sugarcane yields of the treatment to which the first N application was halved (T2 = 195 kg ha−1 N) were slightly lower than those of the conventional application (T1 = 230 kg ha−1 N) in the first and third seasons (T1 = 91 or 93 tons ha−1, T2 = 89 or 87 tons ha−1). N uptake in T1 and T2 was almost the same in seasons 1 (186–188 kg ha−1) and 3 (147–151 kg ha−1). Based on the responses of sugarcane yield and N uptake to fertilizer reduction in two of the three years, T2 is considered to represent a feasible fertilization practice for farmers. The reduction of the first N fertilizer application reduced the underground amounts of N loads (0–19 kg ha−1). However, application of 0 N in the first fertilization would lead to a substantial reduction in yield in all seasons. Reducing the amount of N in the first application (i.e., replacing T1 with T2) improved N recovery by 9.7–11.9% and reduced N leaching by 13 kg ha−1. These results suggest that halving the amount of N used in the first application can improve N fertilizer use efficiency and reduce N loss to groundwater.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 09-13
Author(s):  
Hakoomat Ali ◽  
Asad Abbas ◽  
Shabir Hussain ◽  
Shoukat Ali Abid ◽  
Shazia Khaliq ◽  
...  

Cotton is an important cash crop and source of foreign exchange. Nitrogen is a critical nutrient for plant growth throughout the life span of the crop. Wheat straw mulch not only source of nitrogen supply but also improves soil fertility and reduces soil erosion. The current study was performed to investigate the effects of mulches and nitrogen application on cotton productivity and fiber quality at the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan. Two crop residues i.e. wheat straw and non wheat straw were used in main plots while nitrogen levels viz. 0,50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1 were randomized in subplots. The highest seed cotton yield (22.99 t ha-1) was obtained by the combination of nitrogen fertilizer application highest level (150 kg N ha-1) along with the wheat straw (20.27 t ha-1). The fiber quality was also affected by the wheat straw along with nitrogen application 150 kg N ha-1 and gave maximum results. In conclusion, wheat straw along with 150 kg ha-1 of Nitrogen application gave maximum results on cotton production as compared to non straw with low nitrogen application.


2018 ◽  
Vol 210 ◽  
pp. 330-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenli Qin ◽  
Xiying Zhang ◽  
Suying Chen ◽  
Hongyong Sun ◽  
Liwei Shao

2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 579-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. K. Soon ◽  
S. S. Malhi

The influence o f landscape position on the dynamics of N in the soil-plant system has not been adequately studied. Our aim with this study on a predominantly Black Chernozem soil was to evaluate the effect of slope position (upper vs. lower) and N fertilizer application (none vs. 60 kg N ha-1) on soil and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) N through the growing season. Landscape position had a dominant effect on soil NO3− and soluble organic N (SON) concentrations, especially in the surface 15 cm. These pools of soil N and net N mineralization were greater at the lower than at the upper slope position. The landscape effect is attributed to higher organic matter content (as measured by organic C) and water availability in lower compared with upper slope positions. Nitrogen application had no measurable effect on soil NO3− and SON concentrations. Exchangeable and non-exchangeable NH4+ were little affected by slope position or N fertilization. Nitrogen application increased wheat N uptake; however, its influence was less than that of slope position, especially on N accumulation in wheat heads during grain-filling. Although N application increased wheat yields, landscape position exerted the greater influence: grain yield was less on upper than lower slope positions due to earlier onset of crop maturity. During grain filling, net N mineralization was suppressed at the upper slope position and by N application. The increase in crop yield and N uptake due to N application was not significantly different between slope positions. This study demonstrated that landscape position had a greater influence on N dynamics and availability than the application of typical amounts of fertilizer N and that the two effects were mostly independent of each other. Key words: Available N, landscape position, N uptake, net N mineralization, soluble organic N


HortScience ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 509B-509
Author(s):  
Robert H. Stamps

One of the most difficult times to balance crop nitrogen (N) requirements with concerns about nitrate-N leaching occurs during crop establishment, when root systems are poorly developed and not widely distributed in the growing medium. This dilemma can be exacerbated when producing a slow-growing plant such as leatherleaf fern (Rumohra adiantiformis [Forst.] Ching) on sandy soils in shadehouses in areas with significant rainfall. Rhizomes were planted in 36 drainage lysimeters containing Tavares fine sand located in a shadehouse. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at nine rates using liquid and/or controlled-release fertilizer. Nitrogen application rates were varied as the rhizomes became established and spread into unplanted areas of the lysimeters. Irrigation and rainfall were monitored and the amount of water not lost to evapotranspiration was determined. Nitrogen (ammoniacal, nitrate/nitrite, total Kjeldahl) concentrations in leachate collected below the rootzone were determined. Stipe sap nitrate and frond total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) were determined to try to develop a production monitoring technique. Initially, only leachate samples from controlled-release fertilizer plots treated at 21 and 42 kg of N/ha per year and liquid fertilizer at 28 kg of N/ha per year were consistently below the maximum contamination level (MCL) of 10 mg·L–1. As the fern became established, leachate nitrate/nitrite-N concentrations from higher N application rate treatments also remained below the MCL. Leachate N concentrations decreased as rainfall increased. Fern growth increased with increasing N application rate. Stipe sap nitrate-N and frond TKN concentrations were not well-correlated during establishment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lihua Huang ◽  
Zhengwei Liang ◽  
Donald L. Suarez ◽  
Zhichun Wang ◽  
Mingming Wang

The effect of nitrogen (N) application on seed yields and yield components in Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel., a perennial rhizomatous grass, was measured in a field experiment with two saline-sodic soils at Da’an Sodic Land Experiment Station during 2010–11. Two grassland field sites were classified as moderately saline–sodic (MSSL) and severely saline–sodic (SSSL). Application rates of N at each site were 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 and 210 kg ha–1. Application of N significantly improved seed yield mainly through increased spike number (R2 = 0.96, P ≤ 0.001). Compared with nil N, seed yield increased 7.4–10.9 times with N application of 150 kg ha–1 at MSSL, and 5.3–7.5 times with N application of 120 kg ha–1 at SSSL. However, absolute increases at SSSL were relatively small. Some significant differences (P ≤ 0.01) in seed yield occurred between 2010 and 2011 with different N application rates in the same soil, and between MSSL and SSSL in the same year. Increasing N application rate significantly decreased N physiological efficiency (NPE) but increased N apparent-recovery fraction (NRF) and N partial-factor productivity (NPP) at both sites. Seed yield and NPP indicated that the optimal N application rates to increase yield were 150 kg ha–1 at MSSL and 120 kg ha–1 at SSSL. High soil pH was the major factor adversely impacting seed yield, and pH and soil salinity were major factors negative affecting NPE, NRF and NPP as well as decreasing the positive effect of N application. Nitrogen application is a practical and effective method to increase seed yield of L. chinensis in saline-sodic grasslands of Northeast China, particularly when soil pH and salinity are not limiting.


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